Lao Morning News For June 15

Almost 20 Hydropower Plants Expected to Be Built in Vientiane
Almost 20 hydropower dams in Vientiane Province, with an expected investment of over 9.7 trillion kip or US$1.2 trillion, are under construction or are undergoing feasibility studies.
– Lao News Agency

China injects 40 billion kip into poverty reduction
Sangthong and LuangPrabang district residents will have better lives after the Chinese government granted over 40 billion kip (33.3 million CNY) to implement the Laos-China Poverty Alleviation Pilot Project.
– Vientiane Times

Pyramid Scheme Leaves Lao Investors in the Lurch
An agricultural company running a pyramid scheme in Laos has defaulted on millions of U.S. dollars owed to its stakeholders, leading observers to question why the government has failed to adequately regulate the market and inform investors about potential pitfalls.
– Radio Free Asia

Govt working to sell timber backlog
Some 270,000 cubic metres remains of a timber stockpile despite the government already selling thousands of cubic metres to private companies, a senior official has confirmed.
– Vientiane Times

Luang Prabang bucks travel trend
Lao PDR’s World Heritage town Luang Prabang bucked the country’s negative trend in tourist arrivals in 2016 delivering a 5.88% increase, the town’s tourism department reported on the sidelines of the Mekong Tourism Forum last week.
– TTR Weekly

Riding the Globalization Wave
Driving through the capital city of Vientiane, its apparent that in the past five years, the country has stepped up its globalization game.
– The Laotian Times

Order calls halt to hunting listed rare aquatic birds, wildlife
Authorities have warned local poachers to stop hunting aquatic animals and wildlife listed as conservation after learning a number of endangered animals are being hunted despite a poaching ban.
– Vientiane Times

How Laos’ Black Market Undermines China’s Ivory Ban
Chinese buyers drive Vientiane’s thriving trade in elephant tusks.
– The News Lens

Feature photo Asian Development Bank
Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Lao morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Lao PDR news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.